Bareilly, Jan 28 (IANS): A mother and son were found murdered by some unidentified assailants in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly.

The two used to run a plant nursery. Their bullet-riddled bodies were found lying inside the nursery premises when a local tea stall operator visited there before closing his stall, said senior police officials.

Bareilly senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ghule Sushil Chandra Bhan said the deceased were identified as Meena Devi, 45, and Netra Pal, 23, residents of Dehra Lalpur village.

Meena Devi’s husband, Bhup Ram, 48, along with his wife and son had started the nursery alongside a newly constructed bypass road near the village, six months ago.

The SSP said Bhup Ram and his wife Meena Devi used to stay in a room built within the nursery premises while his son and his four sisters stayed at the house in the Dehra Lalpur village some distance from the nursery.

The SSP said that Bhup Ram had gone for some nursery work and returned around 10 p.m. after being informed about the incident by the local tea stall operator, who first spotted his son’s body lying at the entrance of the nursery. The woman’s body was also spotted lying inside the room built at the nursery premises.

The police official informed that the primary investigation shows injury marks on the head of the two deceased, and close examination suggested that the duo was shot in the head. The woman’s husband had raised suspicion on one Sanjiv Kumar and his family for the murder and lodged the FIR of murder against them in this connection.

The complainant stated that his eldest daughter’s marriage was fixed with Sanjiv but was cancelled on January 11 earlier this month, after which Sanjiv and his family threatened them with dire consequences, the officer added.

He said the police are investigating the matter, and the initial probe hints towards some land and property dispute behind the incident. He said the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination for further legal proceedings.